Top 10 best canned beers available in Albany

If you’re familiar with the Saratoga racetrack you’re probably familiar with their “no glass containers allowed” policy. And every year like clockwork the local beer and foodie scene engages in debate over what are the best canned beers to bring to Saratoga.

However, I’m kind of tired of having that particular argument and would rather focus on what are the best canned beers, period. Though that’s not even what this particular list is about since I’m limiting it to only beers that are available here in Albany. “Available” meaning, you can buy it in local stores, not “only a few hours’ drive away,” which is why you won’t see Heady Topper on this list. If it’s not sold in the Capital District, it’s not eligible for this list.

Honorable mention: ciders galore

I thought it was worth at least mentioning that a lot of ciders are available in cans these days, including Crispin, Angry Orchid, Sir Perry, Blackthorn and Strongbow among many others. I’m not much of a cider drinker, but for those who aren’t big into beer or are allergic to gluten, it’s nice to have the alternative. In fact, the ratio of available canned ciders to total ciders available is pretty staggering. I’d say at least half of all ciders sold in Albany are available in cans. I wish the craft beer industry had something close to that ratio.

10. Blanche de Bruxelles
The only Belgian beer to make this list and one of the select few canned Belgian beers available in Albany. Mild up front with strong lemonpeel and orange notes through the middle. Nothing juicy per se – closer to watery lemonade minus the tartness. There’s a spiciness on the finish that starts off extremely subtle and becomes a bit more prominent as the beer warms. The comfortable mouthfeel and smooth finish make it easily quaffable. At 4.5% ABV it’s also highly sessionable.

9. Long Trail Double Bag
The German “alt bier” style is not one you tend a see a lot of American breweries making. It’s actually quite amazing that Long Trail is able to make such a good version of it with their “Double Bag.” Flavors of caramel, chocolate and toffee are immediately noticeable. You’ll also notice light spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. At 7.2% ABV its not nearly as heavy as it should be. Bonus points for the 16oz can.

8. Brooklyn Lager
The Vienna-style lager is probably the ideal lager for drinkers of all calibers. It’s got the genuine, all-malt flavor the craft beer enthusiast likes, but the relatively mild palette and easy drinkability the Joe Six Pack likes. Honestly, this was a three way tie between Brooklyn, Blue Point Toasted Lager and Samuel Adams Boston Lager. I’d give the advantage to Brooklyn because I find it to be the smoothest of the three, plus the fact its can is available in 16oz and not just 12oz.

7. Bronx Pale Ale
There’s a lot of pale ales being canned today, many by some of the biggest names in the craft beer industry (e.g. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Magic Hat #9). And while those beers are good, readily available, and quite frankly less expensive, I still prefer Bronx Pale Ale out of the three. The base malt flavor is quite European, reminiscent of a robust British pale ale or a German altbier. A mélange of toast, nuts, and biscuits lays the foundation for the palette. It’s not too strong, or cloying – just a nice balance of mild sweetness and earthy character. The hops come through quite prominently in the middle and impart a dry bitterness, but it’s nothing too high on the IBU scale (I assume). There’s a light confectionery sweetness on the finish and the aftertaste is fairly clean. Overall, a rather complex and well-balanced brew.

6. New England Gandhi-Bot
The New England Brewing Company exploded on the local craft beer scene in 2012. I’m glad they did, because I’ve enjoyed everything from them I’ve tried. While their “Sea Hag” is a good single India Pale Ale, I’d have to give a slight advantage to their “Gandhi-Bot” double IPA. It begins with a slightly sweet taste of apricot and orange juice, but then quickly gives way to intense dry bitterness. The back end continues the trend with a swoosh of garlic and onion-like flavors, while at the same time there is some grapefruit tartness. This is the beer to get when you can’t get Heady Topper.

5. Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
If you look at the beer selection from the U.K. in local beverage centers you’ll see a lot of canned beers. The problem is, most of them are dull, bland, pasteurized brews with little flavor. Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is the only canned British beer I can think of that’s actually worth seeking out. It’s a great beer for people who don’t like stouts as it drinks more like chocolate milk than any kind of intensely roasted full-bodied stout (it’s brewed with real confectioner’s chocolate, after all). Much like Guinness, the can contains a nitrogen widget to give it a creamy texture and ridiculously smooth drinkability. This beer is also available in bottles, which I prefer because it’s even more flavorful, though the can is a just a nice change of pace beer.

4. Uinta Hop Notch IPA
Simply put, it’s a great canned double IPA from Utah (well, there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write). This drinks like a strong East Coast-style IPA with its resin and pine character. While there is some citrus, it’s not the star of the show. There’s some malty sweetness as well, giving the beer a dense palette rather than anything crisp or juicy. I do get mild orange flavor on the finish, which changes things up and keeps it consistently interesting. At 7.3% ABV it’s a pretty weighty brew, and it certainly takes advantage of its size, yet one serving is not overwhelming.

3. Blue Point White IPA
Every once in a while a beer comes out of nowhere and takes me by complete surprise. Blue Point White IPA is a good example of what I mean. I first tried it on tap at The Bier Abbey in Schenectady and was amazed. Big juicy citrus taste, bitterness and sweetness all around. Orange being the most predominant flavor with a subtle dryness of coriander and some other spice rack seasonings in there. It’s crisp for sure, but still easy to drink in big swigs. The aftertaste is a little dry but never cloying.

2. Sixpoint Righteous Ale
This pick probably took every reader by surprise. If you’re familiar with the Sixpoint lineup, you know they can all of their beers, so trying to chose just one was tough. Since I already have enough IPAs on this list I decided against “Resin” and “Bengali Tiger.” I considered giving this spot to “3 Beans” – a Baltic Porter made with coffee and chocolate, but that beer is very expensive. So I decided to go with their “Righteous Ale” because it’s a better value.

This beer is juicy, sweet, and resiny from tons of hops, but with a distinct rye bite. The palate begins with mild biscuity malt. It quickly transitions to a taste of rye bread with hints of caramel (I know that sounds odd, but just go with it). The second half turns on a dime into a nectar-like sweetness. Overall, it’s a complex, but well balanced palette of rye spice, hop bitterness and malty sweetness. It crackles across the tongue, but goes down smooth. And as bitter as it seems, it never wears me down.

1. Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
Oskar Blues is roundly regarded as the brewery that made canning beer cool. Though they weren’t the first, they’ve probably been the most successful at it. Everything they make tends to be high in quality, so trying to chose just one was difficult. I almost gave the nod to Dale’s Pale Ale because it’s such a great-tasting, easy-drinking beer and so impressive for an “ordinary” pale ale. However, I have to say their imperial stout, “Ten Fidy,” is their best beer by far and probably the best brew of its type available in cans.

It’s a delicious taste of dark cherry, red grape, chocolate syrup, and some milky/creamy flavors. A quick burst of grapefruit tartness followed by deeply roasted malt and coffee flavor and accompanying bitterness. There’s a very subtle vanilla and woody flavor right as it finishes, along with some alcohol warmth which actually accentuates the palate rather than distracting from it. The mouthfeel is extremely soft, thick, and calm. It coats the entire mouth and is flat-out comfortable. To call it smooth is an understatement. At 10.5% ABV it’s as beefy as the numbers would indicate, though there’s nothing boozy about it at all. Drink this as a liquid dessert and you’ll be happy that you did.